“Fat Loss Happens in the Kitchen!”
…or Does It? Truth is Truth.

Dan John, a celebrity in the strength and conditioning world, an Olympian, educator and author once shared that “fat loss happens in the kitchen.” He passionately expressed how important proper nutrition is regardless of what happens in the weight room, at the gym or even right here at Ellipse Fitness Training Centers.

Blasphemy you say?!

John recommends that people who want to burn fat should eat protein and vegetables and drink water consistently for two years. THEN, let him know how it’s going.

That isn’t the answer we want to hear – I know, but most of us know that ‘truth is truth.’

Let’s argue however, that ‘truth is not truth’ in this case. Don’t worry! Dan John is correct. Fat loss doesn’t happen in the gym, but we are not so sure that it happens primarily in the kitchen either…

Fat Loss Happens…

1. In the Drive-Thru

2. At the Gas Station or Convenience Store

3. At the Concession Stand

4. At the Grocery Store

5. THEN In the Kitchen

6. Finally…ON YOUR PLATE!

1. In the Drive-Thru

Sure. We plan to succeed, head to the store with the list in hand and meal prep on Sunday like we are supposed to, yet SOMETIMES we run late at work, traffic backs up and advertisements seem to whisper sweet nothings from the highway billboard lies of starting tomorrow, fast and convenient and only 99 cents! The next event of the day is closing in and nothing is going according to plan. THIS is where fat loss happens for many of us…

• Chic Fil A? Try the Market Salad: 330 calories, grilled nuggets, fruit, and super food salads!• Jimmy John’s? Go for the Unwich: a pickle on the side for crunch, no cheese please!• McDonald’s? Choose the Southwest Salad, Egg White Breakfast Sandwich, or Grilled Chicken Wrap to help mitigate the damage when you are stuck at this joint!

2. At the Gas Station or Convenience Store

Depending on the location, chances are there is a powerhouse gas station that has a full restaurant inside. Of course they have hot dogs, taquitos, crunchy salty things, and candy.

They ALSO often have fresh fruit, salads, nuts, jerky, or protein shakes/bars (watch those ingredients! Some are just candy bars in disguise…)

Fat loss happens when we choose right on a consistent basis, time after time. Build the habit into your life!

3. At the Concession Stand

Concession stands should be called “Greasy Carb Stands”. Pretzels and cheese, candy, and soda are more than just empty calories. These foods offer ZERO nutritional ingredients and turn the day into a hotbed of poor choices!

Some may offer healthier options like grilled meats, but game days is the perfect day to stash an RX Bar, Dale’s Bar or Quest Bar in your pocket, purse, or sports bag. Keep some quick-grab goodies in your car’s center console: dried fruit, nuts, jerky, seeds, or protein balls all keep well in the car especially through the winter!

4. At the Grocery Store

Obviously healthy and then not-so-healthy options are both available at our local grocer. Here are some tips to help:

• Shop the perimeter of the store. This avoids temptation to throw the dry, processed goods into our basket.
• Find the pre-prepped vegetables – even if they cost more to make sure they will be used to munch on or for a quick meal.
• Check out the salad bar and get more prepared fresh food. Purchase 2-4 days’ worth of food instead of a week’s worth to avoid spoilage and overeating. Drink a full glass of water before shopping. Shop on a full stomach as often as possible. Make a list and stick to it!

5. THEN in the Kitchen

We eat what we see, and we certainly can’t eat what we don’t have on hand! Keep fresh choices on the counter, and in the fridge, whenever possible. Have some meals pre-portioned and ready to go when you need to grab quickly on the way to work or come home starving!

Become the primary shopper and take control of the food in the house! Utilize Shipt and similar services for shopping if time is short. Your health is worth the extra cost! Put poor choices in the downstairs fridge or on a basement shelf. Out of sight, out of mind is true.

Meal plan. Meal prep. Make food commitments to yourself! It may be tough at first, but with repetition it becomes part of your routine.

6. Finally, ON YOUR PLATE!

What you put in your mouth…this is where the true magic happens. At least 50% of your plate should be vegetables! This may be the most important step towards fat loss and healthy nutrition in general.

What goes on our plate and in our mouth is 100% up to us. Accept full responsibility for this! Our bodies become our journals and the writing doesn’t lie!

Be honest with yourself, stay consistent, and you will be strong and healthy.

A few weeks ago, we talked about IF (Intermittent Fasting). The Keto Diet (AKA Ketogenic Diet) is another way of eating that has been around for a while now, though more recently it is starting to become a bit of a craze.

Keto refers to a high-fat, adequate-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet, which forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates as the primary fuel source. A ketogenic diet is/was primarily implemented to treat difficult-to-control epilepsy in children. It was first tested at a Mayo Clinic in the 1920s.

How does Keto vary from other ways of eating?

Keto

60-75% Fat

15-30% Protein

5-10% Carbs

Mediterranean

~35% Fat

~25% Protein

~50% Carbs

Paleo

~40% Fat

~40% Protein

~20% Carbs

The Ketogenic Diet is about trying to get into ketosis

It can take anywhere from 2-7 days for the body to enter ketosis depending on the person. This happens when the body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates for energy and uses up the glucose storage. During ketosis, the body starts making ketones, which happens through the oxidation/burning of stored fat.

I want to try the Keto Diet. What can I expect?

With any major diet change, there is generally an adjustment period for the body, however it does seem that this transition is a little more severe with Keto than many diets. During the first week you may experience IBS like symptoms and tiredness. The lack of quick energy from carbohydrates causes the tiredness and has been coined the “keto flu”. Other symptoms can include lightheadedness, nausea, mental fog, cramps, headaches, bad breath and diarrhea. Some of this may be due to reduced fiber and insufficient micronutrients, so it’s important to be aware that you’re doing what you can to fill those gaps.

On the plus side, people often find they can lose weight because healthy fats and lean proteins will keep you more satiated, so eating less is a natural side effect. Also, fats and protein have a higher thermic effect meaning it takes your body more energy/calories just to break the food down.

That sounds like a lot of symptoms, is it worth it?

Frankly, people do often report success. Many see results on the scale rather quickly because when you eat more carbs your body retains fluid. This is one reason why weight comes off quickly with keto initially. Results can continue for a while, but it should be noted that in the vast majority cases people report not being able to stick with it long term.

What else should I know?

Unfortunately, and similar to the “eat less and exercise more” mentality, muscle loss often accompanies the relatively quick weight loss. This can be misleading if the scale is your only source of measurement. Make sure to check with your doctor before beginning any nutrition regimen, but in particular with keto, heart and kidney damage has been observed due to low electrolyte levels (sodium, magnesium, potassium). Keto is not recommended for those with high blood pressure or diabetes. Keto can cause more calcium to be lost in the urine, which can lead to a decrease in bone density over time and increased risk of osteoporosis.

The summary: As with any way of eating, everyone is different, and results will vary depending on your body. This short-term fix may be right for some, but not everyone.

Ellipse Fitness does not endorse the Ketogenic Diet, nor do we view it as a sustainable approach to nutrition, check out these other great blog articles for more of our philosophy on how to make changes that will last you a lifetime!

There are few subjects out there that are shrouded in more mystery, distorted with more bad information, and more coveted by the general public than body fat. Well today we are going to help you learn a little bit more about body fat, and maybe shed some light on a few really interesting – and life altering – facts about that porous, squishy, yellow tissue inside all of us.

Did you know??

We have the potential to develop an increasing number of fat cells into our early 20’s, but after that point we have the number of fat cells we will have for life.

Fat is essential for brain functioning, hormone production, and protection of our organs, however body fat over 25% for men and over 30% for women can become a health hazard! Especially when stored around our internal organs, excess body fat increases our risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Did you know??

Obese children produce up to twice the number of fat cells as non-obese children. Obese 2 year-olds only have a 1 in 4 chance of NOT being obese by the time they reach the age of 35.

That means basically 25% of obese children will grow up to be obese! It’s vital that we introduce our children to healthy foods and the joy of movement when they are young. Go out and buy 1 new vegetable or fruit this week, one that even you have not tried before, and have the whole family try it! Make it exciting whatever way you can!

Did you know??

An abundance of fat cells directly leads to a deficiency of leptin – the hormone that tells our brain that we should stop eating because we are full!

As fat cells shrink, they produce less leptin which would make us tend to eat more because we are not being told as loudly that we are not hungry, making this a larger problem for people who were significantly overweight or obese as children and/or teenagers. Fat cells want to be filled with lipids. Help your body receive that “full” signal by eating whole/unprocessed foods at regular intervals while being aware of physical hunger vs fullness cues. Sometimes when you body tells you it’s hungry, what it really is asking for is water! If you haven’t had any water for a little while try drinking an 8 oz glass and wait 10 minutes to see if you still want to eat.

Here’s what you need to know for your weight-loss goals:

It starts with the liver: The liver is used to store glycogen (sugar) for reserves. As we eat, our body fills those reserves. It’s when we eat too much (simple or complex sugars) and the liver is at capacity that the remaining glycogen floating around gets moved into our fat cells.

If you want to lose fat, don’t engage in extreme diets! Stay consistent with your healthy habits and make little changes that you will be able to maintain for the long term. Fad diets and quick fixes that yield 30 pounds weight loss in 30 days for instance almost always result in your body losing mostly water and muscle in the process. This is why you often “rebound” back to your original weight shortly after quitting the diet, and sometimes even end up gaining more than you lost because your body is not happy with the yo-yo trend!

What happens when we “lose fat”? Through a series of chemical reactions, fat leaves the body through sweat and urine, but fat primarily leaves the body through respiration (breathing)! Help lose and or maintain body fat percentages by incorporating non-exercise physical activity every day like parking in the furthest spot at the store or at work, taking the stairs, or just playing with your kids and grandkids more often!

Deflating fat cells CAN be done! Two quick hitters to get started are to exercise at least 5 hours per week and get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. You might be one of those who think you only need 5 or 6 hours, and while that may be true for you to live and generally function, burning fat is hard work. Rest is key!

The average brat has about 19-24 grams of fat! That is nearly the amount of fat you want to have in your diet in an entire day. A great swap for a regular brat is a chicken brat/sausage. Most likely you can find them in the frozen section of your local grocery store. Otherwise, we have found great varieties at Sam’s Club, Woodman’s, and Trader Joe’s! This recipe is a great way to incorporate the chicken sausage into your diet without putting it on a boring ol’ bun!

Italian Sausage Sauté

4 Chicken Sausages

2 Cups Whole Wheat Rigatoni Noodles, cooked

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Large Red Pepper, chunked

1 Zucchini and/or Squash, sliced

1 Cup Mushrooms

1 Small Onion, sliced

1 Jar Hunt’s Reduced Sugar Spaghetti Sauce

2 Tbsp. Parsley, chopped

Directions: Cut sausages into 1″ pieces, warm over medium heat in a sauté pan, and keep warm. Cook the rigatoni according to package directions, keeps warm. In a large saucepan, place olive oil and garlic, sauté lightly for 30 seconds. Add peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, & onions and cook until crisp-tender. Combine cooked sausage and pasta sauce with veggies and heat until warm. Mix with the pasta or serve separately. Top with fresh parsley.

Add a little dazzle to your egg whites by adding loads of your favorite veggies! Another great veggie to add to this recipe is asparagus. If you prefer, you may also substitute Egg Beaters instead of the egg whites as well. Enjoy!

Egg White Scramble

4 Egg Whites

2 Tbsp. Chopped Onion

2 Tbsp. Chopped Green Pepper

2 Tbsp. Chopped Tomatoes

2 Tbsp. Chopped Mushrooms

1/4 Cup Reduced-fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Salt & Pepper

Directions: Spray a cooking skillet with non-stick cooking spray and sauté vegetables for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Add egg whites to vegetables and scramble until cooked through. Sprinkle with cheese (if desired) and place cover on skillet to melt cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves: 1

Total Calories: 149 Carb=7.7g Prot=20g Fat=4.2g

Ellipse Tip: Want to bump up your protein? Add a couple more egg whites! On average, an egg white has only 20 calories, 5 grams of protein, and NO fat! The yolk of the egg has approximately 5 grams of fat per yolk, so choose wisely!